Elon Musk, once a key ally of President Donald Trump, has publicly vented his frustration with the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a massive legislative package that he branded a “disgusting abomination” in a series of fiery posts on X on June 3, 2025. Having led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk aimed to slash at least $1 trillion in federal spending by targeting waste, fraud, and abuse, uncovering issues like millions of dollars in Small Business Administration loans to minors and overpayments to deceased Social Security recipients. Yet, the bill, which passed the House and faced Senate scrutiny, not only ignored DOGE’s proposed $175 billion in savings but also ballooned the deficit by an estimated $2.3 to $3.8 trillion over a decade through tax cuts and increased spending on military and border security. Musk’s outrage stems from the refusal of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to adopt DOGE’s cuts, which he sees as a betrayal of fiscal responsibility, warning that the bill saddles Americans with “crushingly unsustainable debt.”


The bipartisan resistance to DOGE’s recommendations has infuriated Musk, who believes lawmakers are prioritizing political expediency over the nation’s financial health. Republicans, despite controlling both chambers, have pushed a bill that extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and boosts funding for immigration enforcement, while making only modest cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP, which fall far short of DOGE’s vision. Democrats, meanwhile, have celebrated Musk’s criticism as leverage against the bill’s social safety net reductions, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer waving Musk’s posts during a press conference. On X, Musk has amplified sentiments from fiscal conservatives like Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee, who echo his call for deeper spending reductions, with Paul stating, “We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake.” Yet, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have downplayed Musk’s concerns, with Thune suggesting Musk’s data is outdated and Johnson calling his stance “very disappointing,” revealing a deep rift within the GOP.


Musk’s public break with the bill underscores a broader failure to address systemic inefficiencies, as both parties cling to their sacred cows—Republicans to tax cuts and defense spending, Democrats to entitlement programs. DOGE’s findings, such as $233 billion to $521 billion in annual fraud and improper payments, highlight the scale of waste that could be eliminated without touching core services like Social Security or Medicare, which Trump has vowed to protect. However, the bill’s passage through the House with minimal DOGE-inspired cuts and its uncertain Senate fate reflect Congress’s reluctance to confront politically sensitive programs or powerful lobbies, like defense contractors and health insurers, which Senator Elizabeth Warren noted could save $2 trillion over a decade if targeted. Musk’s threat to “fire all politicians who betrayed the American people” in the 2026 midterms signals his intent to wield his influence and wealth against lawmakers, a move that could reshape the GOP’s fiscal priorities but risks alienating allies like Trump, who remains committed to the bill despite its contradictions with DOGE’s mission.